Resisting-arrest Count Dropped In Cocaine Case Police

A resisting arrest charge was dismissed yesterday against an Easton man arrested last month on a drug charge at Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport.

However, a preliminary hearing on the drug charge was delayed.

Nathaniel T. Wilkins, 35, of Easton, was arrested Feb. 26 after he removed items from a locker at the airport. Airport police testified yesterday that they discovered suspected cocaine in the coin-operated locker and placed it under surveillance.

Police said they have the authority to inspect the lockers every 24 hours.

District Justice Edward Pressmann dismissed the resisting arrest charge but delayed the hearing on the drug possession charge.

No state police crime lab report on the suspected cocaine was available yesterday, and no expert witnesses were available to testify at the hearing.

Pressmann reduced bail to $3,000 from $5,000 and returned Wilkins to Lehigh County Prison.

Police recovered about 50 packets of suspected cocaine. They charged that Wilkins dropped the packets while running from police.